Because fiat currency constantly loses value, people cannot simply save. They are forced to invest and speculate in markets they may not understand, diverting time and energy from their actual jobs, just to prevent their savings from eroding.
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Unlike missing a tech stock's upside, choosing not to hold Bitcoin is an active decision to remain in a fiat system that guarantees wealth erosion through debasement. Inaction means your financial situation and standard of living actively get worse.
Holding cash is a losing strategy because governments consistently respond to economic crises by printing money. This devalues savings, effectively forcing individuals to invest in assets like stocks simply to protect their purchasing power against inflation.
Decades of currency debasement through money printing have made asset ownership essential for wealth preservation. Since a house is the most intuitive asset for the average person, owning one transformed from a component of the American Dream into a compulsory defense against inflation.
There are no scalable, productive investments (e.g., factories, real estate) offering attractive returns, as many physical assets trade below replacement cost. This surplus capital, with nowhere to go, is funneled into speculative bubbles like AI, creating a 'fake' economy.
In an economic system with persistent currency debasement, holding cash in a savings account guarantees a loss of purchasing power. Prosperity is no longer achievable through simple saving; it requires actively "betting" on assets that can't be inflated, such as stocks, real estate, or crypto.
Having lived through hyperinflation where money became a meaningless number, the real store of value is owning productive assets. A portfolio of quality businesses that provide real goods and services offers tangible protection that fiat currency cannot, as these businesses can adapt and reprice.
The anti-capitalist narrative offers a simple but incorrect villain for a complex problem. The true cause of widespread economic pain is a debt-based system that punishes savers with inflation, forcing citizens into a stock market they do not understand.
The inherent complexity of economics serves as a shield, preventing the public from understanding that government debt and money printing directly devalue their savings. This functions as a hidden, non-legislated tax on anyone holding the currency.
The modern economic structure is morally flawed. It pushes people from housing, the only asset they understand, into the stock market, then erodes their wealth via inflation. This act of "stealing" from citizens through monetary policy creates the economic insecurity that fuels populism.
In an environment dominated by government debt and money printing, holding cash is not a neutral act of saving; it's direct exposure to inflation. As the government devalues the currency to manage its interest payments, the purchasing power of cash diminishes. The priority must shift from simply saving to owning productive or scarce assets as a defense.
